Science
Latest science news.
This Trap Wants Ants to Take a Bite
Named for an ancient Roman crossbow-like weapon, the newly found “ballista” spider uses a springy snare to catch prey.
NYT > Science · about 3 hours ago
Richard Scolyer, Cancer Expert Who ‘Became His Own Subject,’ Dies at 59
His lifesaving melanoma research in Australia illuminated the treatment he underwent for his own brain tumor, an ordeal he courageously shared with the public.
NYT > Science · about 15 hours ago
How a Bird’s Habitat Can Change Its Song
For the Bachman’s sparrow, whether a song is passed to the next generation could depend, in part, on the wind and trees.
NYT > Science · 1 day ago
Earth may have been seeding Venus with life for billions of years
A new study suggests Earth may have been sending tiny hitchhikers to Venus for billions of years. Researchers found that asteroid impacts could launch microbes into space, where some might survive the journey and end up suspended in Venus' clouds. If future missions detect life there, there's a surprising chance it didn't originate on Venus at all—it may have come from Earth.
Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily · 1 day ago
Einstein Probe may have caught a black hole tearing apart a white dwarf for the first time
Astronomers may have witnessed one of the rarest and most dramatic cosmic events ever seen: a long-sought intermediate-mass black hole ripping apart a dense white dwarf star and devouring it. The Einstein Probe space telescope caught the explosion in its earliest moments, revealing an unusual sequence of intense X-ray flashes unlike anything seen in a typical gamma-ray burst.
Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily · 1 day ago
Why the Venezuelan Earthquakes Happened, and What to Expect Next
Twin earthquakes like those that ripped through the region are unusual but not unheard of. Scientists are already gathering data needed for a more detailed picture.
NYT > Science · 2 days ago
Tickled Apes Reveal the Rhythmic Roots of Laughter
A study of chimps, gorillas and other great apes, including human children, sheds light on how laughter has evolved.
NYT > Science · 2 days ago
This common vitamin deficiency can mimic normal aging
Vitamin B12 is needed in microscopic amounts, but a shortage can have major effects on health and energy. The vitamin was first linked to a lifesaving liver treatment for pernicious anemia nearly 100 years ago. Today, researchers are finding that B12 may also help keep cellular powerhouses called mitochondria functioning properly. This could explain why some people experience fatigue and brain fog even before traditional signs of deficiency show up.
Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily · 2 days ago
They knew the pill was fake but their memory still improved
Healthy older adults experienced measurable improvements in memory, physical performance, and stress after taking placebo pills for just three weeks. The most surprising finding was that the placebo often worked even when participants knew the pills were completely inactive.
Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily · 2 days ago
These Birds’ Backflips Are Fueled by Sugar
An ancient dietary change made the manakin’s flashy courtship display possible, a new study suggests.
NYT > Science · 2 days ago
After 70 years of excavation, ancient Sardis becomes a UNESCO World Heritage site
After nearly seven decades of excavation, the legendary ancient city of Sardis has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site, celebrating years of discoveries that continue to reshape its history. Archaeologists say the biggest breakthroughs don't happen in a single season—they emerge as decades of evidence slowly come together.
Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily · 2 days ago
NASA’s Lucy finds a wobbling peanut-shaped asteroid with signs of ancient water
NASA’s Lucy spacecraft discovered that asteroid Donaldjohanson is a wobbling, peanut-shaped relic born from a violent collision and slowly reshaped by the subtle force of sunlight. It also carries traces of ancient water, making it an important clue to the solar system’s mysterious past.
Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily · 2 days ago
Osteopenia is silently weakening bones in millions of people
Osteopenia is a common but often overlooked condition that causes bones to become less dense and more fragile. Because it develops silently, many people only discover they have it after a fracture or bone scan. Aging, menopause, poor diet, and inactivity can all contribute to bone loss. Fortunately, exercise, adequate calcium and vitamin D, and other healthy habits can slow or even partially reverse the decline.
Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily · 2 days ago
Fruit Fly Sperm Are Giant. How Do They Stay Untangled?
A fruit fly’s sperm are exceptionally long, and thousands are crammed in together. The physics of this presents a packing nightmare.
NYT > Science · 3 days ago
The Ebola Outbreak’s Central Mystery: Where Did This Virus Come From?
Scientists believe that the Bundibugyo virus persists in an animal species, occasionally spilling over into humans. But they have yet to identify the species.
NYT > Science · 3 days ago
The universe may be hiding conscious minds stranger than we can imagine
What if consciousness isn’t limited to brains like ours? Philosophers Eric Schwitzgebel and Jeremy Pober argue that consciousness could arise in many different forms of life, even in beings built from radically different materials than those found on Earth. Drawing on the vastness of the universe and the likely existence of countless alien civilizations, they suggest it would be surprisingly Earth-centric to assume that only Earth-like biology can support conscious experience.
Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily · 3 days ago
Scientists discover ancient brain cells that help block distractions
Scientists have discovered a tiny group of neurons in an ancient brain region that acts like a built-in focus filter, helping the brain ignore distractions and zero in on what matters most. When researchers temporarily switched off these neurons in mice, the animals became unusually distractible—similar to what is seen in ADHD—but regained normal focus as soon as the neurons were reactivated.
Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily · 3 days ago
Early humans were bringing fire into caves 1.8 million years ago
A new study suggests early humans were using fire in South Africa’s Wonderwerk Cave as far back as 1.79 million years ago. Researchers found burned bones deep inside the cave, where natural wildfires could not have reached, indicating that fire was likely carried in and maintained by human ancestors. The discovery pushes back the timeline for fire use and reveals surprisingly sophisticated behavior long before humans could create fire on demand.
Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily · 3 days ago
California Needs Water and Clean Power. It Might Have a Fix for Both.
A pilot program is building solar panels over irrigation canals to generate electricity. As a bonus, the shade prevents water from evaporating.
NYT > Science · 5 days ago
François Englert, Nobelist Who Helped Predict the ‘God Particle,’ Dies at 93
His work paved the way for the discovery of the Higgs boson, which explained how particles acquire mass, solving one of the deepest mysteries in physics.
NYT > Science · 7 days ago